Description

PUNK AVENUE: Inside the New York City Underground 1972-1982 is an intimate account of Paris-born author Phil Marcade’s first ten years in the United States, where—after drifting from Boston to the West Coast and back—he wound up in New York City and became deeply immersed in the start of the punk rock scene. With brilliant, often hilarious prose, Marcade relays first-hand tales of his experiences, such as having the Ramones play their very first gig at his party, working with Blondie’s Debbie Harry on French lyrics for her songs, enjoying Thanksgiving with Johnny Thunders’ mother, and starting the beloved NYC punk-blues band The Senders.

PUNK AVENUE includes a foreword by Legs McNeil, co-editor of the renowned punk rock oral history, Please Kill Me. Inrockuptibles Magazine who calls it “Hilarious and deeply touching . . . a one of a kind odyssey.” And Rock & Folk Magazine hails it as “The best book about the New York Punk Scene.”

In addition to Marcade’s “raw, straightforward and often really funny” tales (Le Magazine des Livres), PUNK AVENUE includes a dozen rare black and white photos from the era, by renowned photographers Nan Goldin, David Armstrong, Marcia Resnick, and Eileen Polk.

High Praise for Punk Avenue

“A musician’s memoir of punk rock in its New York City heyday shows how much fun it was while it lasted, before AIDS and heroin had the last laugh. . . . Must-read for those who love that era and want a fresh perspective on it.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“It was hard to put this book down. It’s a fun and dishy read!… Gives us the real 411 about both CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City and the drug scene that was happening.” ―Ginger Coyote, Punk Globe Magazine

“A fast, fun read that fills in historical gaps and establishes Phil Marcade as more than a character lurking in the shadows” – Razorcake

“Reading Phil Marcade’s Punk Avenue feels like having a chat with an old friend, remembering and laughing over those crazy, glorious times” – Ida S. Langsam, The Ramones’ Publicist

“Unstoppable tales from the inside of the inside- of his pals Johnny Thunders, Joe Strummer, Debbie Harry, Dee Dee Ramone, of Max’s, CBs, and the long-ago Lower East Side, all told in a matter-of-fact style that only makes them more incredible. A definitive dispatch from the trenches (and gutters) of New York Punk” – Robert Duncan, Managing Editor, Creem